Sadly Cathedral didn`t live up to the reputation they used to have as a kickass doom outfit. Technically they played a decent set, consisting of old classics and the occasional new song. However no surprises. Nor did Cathedral show any spirit or aggression whatsoever (the rendition of "Forest Of Equilibrium" being the exception to the rule). Apparently Cathedral has a bad case of the `blues`. What to do if you have been playing the same venues for a decade and your career hasn`t evolved commercially (the average turnout on this tour was 60 persons a night)? Go on stubbornly or throw in the towel? This seems to be the dilemma.

It hurts to see Cathedral struggle with this issue on stage. It`s like especially Lee Dorrian has lost all his energy and conviction, leaving only room for doubt and fatalism. This results in a bad, uninspired show, basically not worth mentioning. One can only hope and pray that Cathedral will find the energy and spirit to really renew and refresh themselves once again and further their career. Because it would be a great loss if Cathedral called it quits.

Support act Hangnail pretty much suffered a similar fate. Their performance was rather lame, keeping in mind they played a fresh and fiery set last year, supporting Unida on their European tour. It`s clear that new songs like Slowhead, Third Time Around, all from the album Clouds In The Head, resemble each other a bit too much and lack true songwriting quality. Even though Hangnail have improved as musicians, it can`t keep a feeling of boredom at bay. Alas.

(Review: Maarten Verbaarschot
Pics: Marcia Gransbergen)